The Additional District Magistrate (Asansol) of the State’s Bardhaman district was sent on compulsory waiting for failing to organise the programme the way Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had desired, government sources said here on Friday.
Jayant Kumar Aikat had to face Ms. Banerjee’s ire when he did only allow girls, who were distributed free bicycles at an event in the district on Thursday, to ride them past the stage. Ms. Banerjee was present on the stage and had desired that, after being given keys to the bicycles, the girls should ride past the podium.
Mr. Aikat had reportedly ruled it out for security reasons.
Earlier this month, a senior officer of the State’s Information and Cultural Affairs, Department suffered a similar fate for issuing government advertisements to a vernacular daily against Ms. Banerjee’s wishes.
Ms. Banerjee’s dealings with senior State officials have raised eyebrows on other occasions as well.
While inaugurating the State’s Handicrafts Fair in November last year, she had asked an officer of the rank of Additional Chief Secretary, seated on the dai,s whether he had fallen asleep mid-event. She later tried to make amends, referring to him as a very senior officer and asking people not to laugh.
Ms. Banerjee’s decision to offer gifts to a section of the bureaucracy at the State Secretariat during the Durga Pujas, last year, did not go down well with many. The gesture was criticised and seen as favouring those close to her and are in her good books.
